Kendrick Van Ackeren headshot

Kendrick Van Ackeren

A youthful coach who quickly has climbed the ranks in his profession, Kendrick Van Ackeren is in his first season at Northwestern State, coaching defensive backs.

Van Ackeren spent the past two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Arkansas Tech where he also coached defensive backs and linebackers.

While with the Wonder Boys, Van Ackeren coached six all-conference players in the 2024 season, three times as many all-conference honorees as Arkansas Tech had two years prior. Van Ackeren also oversaw a defense that improved statistically in scoring defense (plus-12), total defense (138 fewer yards), third-down conversion rate (nine percent i mprovement), fourth-down conversion rate (18 percent improvement) and a seven-sack improvement. 

In 2024, Van Ackeren’s defense ranked in the top 42 nationally in pass defense (6th), fourth-down conversion rate (T-19th), pass efficiency defense (26th), touchdowns allowed (T-27th) and total defense (42nd).  

Van Ackeren spent the 2022 season as the defensive back coach and co-special teams coordinator at Colorado State Pueblo where he coached Daniel Bone to an All-American selection.
In addition to Bone, Van Ackeren coached a pair of first-team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference selections.  

The ThunderWolves led the RMAC in interceptions (19), passing yards per game (202.3) and passing  defense efficiency (113.8). CSU Pueblo ranked second in the nation in interceptions and was fourth in yards per completion allowed (9.79).  

Van Ackeren’s special teams units led the RMAC in net kickoff average (41.5), kick returns (22.6 yards) and punt returns (15 per return).  

Prior to his season at CSU Pueblo, Van Ackeren spent five seasons at Oregon State in a variety of positions, including the interim outside linebackers coach. During the 2021 season, Oregon State finished in the top three in the Pac-12 in scoring defense, yards allowed per game, passing yards allowed per game, rushing yards allowed per game and interceptions. 

At Oregon State, Van Ackeren coached Hamilcar Rashed Jr. to an All-American season in 2019 while Omar Speights earned Freshman All-American honors with Van Ackeren on staff that season. 

A three-year letterman at Montana who began his career at Hawaii, Van Ackeren began his coaching career at Bellevue High School in Bellevue, Washington. As the team’s defensive coordinator, Van Ackeren built the top scoring defense in the state, allowing 10.5 points per game. 

Van Ackeren spent the 2017 season at Montana State as a defensive quality control coach working with the linebackers and defensive line, helping coach Big Sky Freshman of the Year Troy Andersen.

Van Ackeren played three seasons at Montana after beginning his collegiate career at Hawaii. While with the Griz, Van Ackeren was a preseason All-American ahead of his senior season of 2015.

As a senior, Van Ackeren ranked sixth nationally in total tackles, averaging 11.7 per game. His 5.7 solo tackles per game ranked him 21st nationally. That season capped a career in which Van Ackeren was named Montana’s Special Teams Player of the Year as a sophomore in 2013.

A native of Bellevue, Washington, Van Ackeren holds dual bachelor’s degrees in finance and business management from Montana and an MBA in organizational leadership from Oregon State.

He and his wife, Shannon, are the parents of a son, Khalil.Â